Author: Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer

Published: Thursday 14th January, 2016

The Smoke which will appear at the End of Time

Masrooq said:

"While a man was giving a speech among the people of Kindah, he said, 'There will be smoke on the Day of Resurrection which will deprive the hypocrites of their hearing and sight, but the believers will only suffer something like a cold.' We were terrified, so we went to Ibn Masood, who was reclining. When he heard about this, he became angry and sat up, and said: 'O people, whoever knows a thing, let him say it; but whoever does not know, let him say, "Allaah knows best." It is a part of knowledge, when one does not know something, to say "Allaah knows best." Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) said to His Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله علیه وسلم):

"Say (O Muhammad (صلى الله علیه وسلم)): 'No wage do I ask of you for this (the Qur'aan), nor am I one of the Mutakallifoon (those who pretend and fabricate things which do not exist).'" [Saad (38):86]

"Quraysh were being slow in embracing Islaam, so the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) prayed against them, saying, 'O Allaah, help me against them by sending seven years of famine like those of Joseph.' They were afflicted by a year of famine in which they were destroyed, and ate dead animals and bones. They began to see something like smoke between the sky and the earth. Abu Sufyan came and said, 'O Muhammad! You came to command us to keep good relations with our relatives, and your people have perished, so pray that Allaah may relieve them.'"

Then Ibn Mas'ood recited,

"Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke. Covering the people, this is a painful torment. (They will say): "Our Lord! Remove the torment from us, really we shall become believers!" How can there be for them an admonition (at the time when the torment has reached them), when a Messenger explaining things clearly has already come to them. Then they had turned away from him (Messenger Muhammad (صلى الله علیه وسلم)) and said: "One (Muhammad (صلى الله علیه وسلم)) taught (by a human being), a madman!" Verily, We shall remove the torment for a while. Verily! You will revert." [ad-Dukhaan (44):10-15]

Ibn Masood asked:

"Will their punishment in the Hereafter be removed so they can go back to their Kufr?"

Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) said:

"On the Day when We shall seize you with the greatest grasp. Verily, We will exact retribution." [ad-Dukhaan (44):16]

These Ayaat refer to the Day (Battle) of Badr. Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) said:

"Alif Laam Meem. The Romans have been defeated. In the nearer land (Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three to nine years." [ar-Room (30): 1-4] [Bukhaaree] [1]

This speaker's suggestion - that the idea that the smoke would be on the Day or Resurrection was not a good one - made Ibn Masood react angrily. But the smoke will appear before the Day of Resurrection; it will be one of the signs, which are: the Beast, the Dajjaal, the Smoke, and Gog and Magog, as the Ahaadeeth narrated from Abu Sareehah, Abu Hurairah and other Sahaabah indicate.

As mentioned in the Saheeh Ahaadeeth, the fire which will appear before the Day of Resurrection will burst forth from the direction of Aden, and drive the people to the place of their final assembly. It will move with them and halt with them, and will devour any who lag behind.

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